Become an Advocate

Who are the Advocates?

The advocate program was developed to ensure longevity and sustainability within our organization. Advocates are the heart and soul of our organization! As an advocate you make up one of our 180+ advocate team and work to help our community in incredible ways. Advocates assist with leading soup can workouts for schools, head up pop tab and food drive fundraisers, create giving back projects to reflect their areas of passion, and so much more. As an advocate they are also able to create meaningful and lasting relationships with their advocate team and community. So many of our current advocates highlight how through the program they learned leadership, confidence, advocacy, service, etc. Our advocates are the next generation of volunteers in our community, so we make sure to empower them and help them reach their goals.

How to Become an Advocate

There are so many benefits of being an advocate with Peyton’s Promise. The opportunities for leadership and services within the community are endless. This is a great way to build connections to those leaders within the community and begin to forge the relationships needed to have long lasting bonds to the Marathon County community. As our advocates grow with our organization, they are able to join our advocate leadership board and become a mentor for our younger advocates. This is an amazing opportunity for our older advocates to let their motivation and inspiration shine through their advocate teams. The passion projects and legacy of our advocates live on in the organization and through the younger team members.

To apply, simply fill out the application below. Applicants will be asked to provide basic contact information, two references (we encourage principal/teacher references), and answer in their own words why they’d like to become an advocate and what inspired them to make the world a better place. It’s as easy as that!

Advocate applications open next in April 2022. Check back here for a link during the application window.

Common Questions:

Who can apply?

To apply to become an advocate, you must be finishing 4th grade or older (10 years and older). You also must be excited and willing to participate in volunteer opportunities!

What will be expected of me as an advocate?

Throughout the year we expect each Advocate to volunteer for 2-3 events in the community (we have 1 event a month on average) and lead food drives in their schools with their team.

Do I need a parent to participate in events?

We encourage families to be involved and volunteer at our community events alongside their advocates. However, we understand that your lives are busy and sometimes you must drop off your child. We have parent volunteers who have passed a background check and happily supervise the event.

From an Advocate

Sara was the 2020/2021 Secretary of our Youth Advocate Board and has worked with Peyton’s Promise for over 7 years! Here are some reasons Sara loves the organization so much and what she has learned from growing up with us!

I love Peyton’s Promise because it is such a big part of my life and who I am. Peyton’s Promise has allowed me to learn key life skills, meet so many new people, and be involved in my community. When I first became an advocate I had to speak in front of the Optimist Organization one year. I was so shy. I never looked up from my note cards once. Working with Peyton’s Promise though has allowed me to break out of that shell and now I have no problem speaking in front of people.

Peyton’s Promise is a great way to get involved in the community through different service projects. It also allows one to build a passion for helping those around them. I strongly recommend becoming an advocate! This is something you will not regret. I absolutely love working with Peyton’s Promise and being able to help the community make the world a better place.

Advocate Board Members

Our Advocate Board of Directors are a group of High School leaders who help organize events, create events of their own, mentor our younger advocates and recruit new advocates to the organization. Our board meets weekly via google chat with our Executive Director to brainstorm and prepare for upcoming events.

Peyton Medick — Founder

Peyton Medick, Founder of Peyton's Promise, is a senior at UW LaCrosse. She started the organization when she was eight years old and wanted to make sure children did not go to bed hungry. Peyton started working with the advocate program when her cousin brought forth the idea of having advocates to inspire, lead and educate people about the problem of hunger. Other than working with Peyton's Promise, She enjoys spending time with friends and family, listening to music and adventuring. Peyton is studying Public Administration with a minor in Communications with hopes of a career within the non-profit sector. Peyton looks forward to seeing what amazing things that the advocates, advocate board and this organization can do.

Caitlin Woller — President

Hi, I’m Caitlin Woller, this years president and mentor of the DC Everest Middle School. I am currently a Senior at the DC Everest Senior High, and I have been an advocate since I was in 5th grade! Through Peyton’s Promise, I enjoy working with and getting to know my team! I also love being apart of the Advocate Day of Training, in addition to helping with numerous events. Some including Elves Stock the Shelves, Hunt Down Hunger, and my family’s legacy project: Knock Down Hunter. Outside of Peyton’s Promise, I love spending time with my friends and family, shopping, watching my favorite show and movies, fishing, hunting, and being apart of the tennis team at my school. I am beyond excited for this school year!

Drew Riley — Vice President

Hello my name is Drew Riley I am vice president of the advocate board. I’m going into 11th Grade and, I attend Wausau West High School. I have been and advocate for 5 years.I mentor John Muir Middle School. My favorite event to volunteer at is Elves Stock the shelves My favorite subject is math. My favorite tv show The Office. Hobby outside of Peyton's promise: I like to golf.

Autumn Quevillon — Secretary

Hello my name is Autumn quevillon I am a senior at DC Everest. I have been an advocate for 9 years. I am the advocate board member for Horace Mann. My favorite event is advocate day of training. My favorite subject in school is math. I love the movie tangled. In my spare time I enjoy playing sports and being outside.

Calley Watt — Correspondence Secretary

My name is Calley Watt and I am a senior at DC Everest high school. I’ve been an advocate since I was in fourth grade. I am the correspondence secretary and mentor at John Marshall elementary. My favorite event is the concert on the square. I enjoy reading.

Emma Schueller — Member

Hello, my name is Emma Schueller. I'm a junior at The DC Everest High School. I have been an advocate for 6 years and I mentor at Mountain Bay Elementary. My favorite event is Stock the Shelves I truly enjoy getting to see the huge impact this organization has in the community. My favorite subjects to study in school are Spanish, band and science. My favorite movie is Encanto — I enjoy the message of family. My hobbies outside of Peyton’s Promise are marching band, swim, Girl Scouts, FCA and dance.

Grace Golbach — Member

Hello my name is Grace Goldbach, I am going into 10th grade at the DCE Senior High. I have been an advocate for 6 years. I mentor at Riverside Elementary. My favorite events are stock the shelves and the pet drive. My favorite subjects in school are english and science. I enjoy watching Dirty Dancing. Outside of Peyton's Promise I enjoy swimming running, reading writing and listening to music.

Nate Pease — Member

Hello my name is Nate Pease and I’m a junior at Wausau West High School. I have been an advocate for 6 years and I am the advocate board member for south mountain. I enjoy volunteering at Advocate Day of Training which is my favorite event. My favorite subject to study in school is Math. Favorite Movie or tv show: can’t choose just one. My hobby outside of Peyton’s Promise is golfing.

Mari Juarez — Member

Hello, I'm Mari. I’m a freshman at the Idea Charter School. I have been an advocate for 5 Years and I mentor at the Idea Charter School and Odyssey. My favorite event to volunteer at is Hunt Down Hunger. My favorite subject to study in school is reading. Favorite TV show: Over the Garden Wall. Hobbies outside of Peyton’s Promise: drawing and bike riding.

Jackson Albee — Member

Hello, my name is Jackson. I am a junior at Wausau West. I have been an advocate for 5 years. I mentor at WAVE. My favorite event to participate in is Tubing at Sylvan Hill/ Team bonding. My favorite subject to study in school is math. I enjoy the movie MoneyBall. Hobbies outside of Peyton’s Promise: baseball.

Josie Widman - Member

Hello my name is Josie Widman. I am a Sophomore at the DC Everest Senior High and I have been and advocate for 6 years. I mentor for Thomas Jefferson Elementary. My favorite event to volunteer at is Elves stock the shelves and Labor Day parade. My favorite subject to study in school is math. I enjoy watching the TV show Friends. My hobby outside of Peyton’s Promise is horseback riding.

Ella Slaven— Member

Hello my name is Ella Slaven. I am a sophomore at the DC Everest Senior High , I have been in Peyton's Promise for 6 years and I mentor at Rib Mountain Elementary. My favorite event to volunteer at is at Advocate Day of Training I enjoy studying english in school. My favorite movie to watch is Big Hero 6. My Hobbies outside of Peyton’s Promise include playing basketball, golfing, reading, and traveling.

Zoey Yang— Member

Hello my name is Zoey Yang I’m a sophomore at DC Everest Senior High. I have been an advocate for 6 years. I mentor at the DCE Jr. High. My favorite events to volunteer at are Pop tabs for Sofia, senior snow day packages, and advocate day of training. My favorite subject to study in school is english. I enjoy watching romcoms. My hobbies outside of Peyton’s Promise include swim team, dance, volunteering, and spending time with friends and family.

Graham Faulkner — Member

My name is Graham Faulkner, I just finished my junior year at Wausau East High School. I have been a part of Peyton's Promise for 7 years. Stettin elementary is the school where I mentor at. My favorite Peyton's Promise event is advocate day of training. My favorite hobby is to run for track and cross country. I also practice a lot for baseball, play lots of video games and read books.

Kyleigh Grahn — Member

Hello my name is Kyleigh Grahn and I am a junior at DCE Senior High. I have been an advocate for 7 years. I mentor Grant Elementary and I will be helping with the High School (I think). I love volunteering at the concert on the square events and working in the Covenant food pantry. My favorite subject to study is math. My favorite movies and tv shows are Hunger Games and Big Sky. My hobbies outside of Peyton’s Promise include track, camping, fishing, football, lifting, and more.

Dustin Brooks — Member

Hey, my name is Dustin, and I am a current sophomore at Mosinee high school. This is my first year being an advocate, and I can already tell that Peyton’s Promise is an organization that I will stick with for a long time. I will be mentoring the Mosinee school district. My favorite event would definitely be stock the shelves. The reason this event is my favorite is because I liked being able to interact with people and have a conversation with them while at the same time helping obtain donations for our communities food pantries. Some of the things that I love are being outside, hanging out with friends, spending hot days in the summer on a boat, downhill skiing, track and field, and volleyball.

Mariah Nordhaus — Member

My name is Mariah Nordhaus I am in 10th grade and go to DC Everest Senior high. My favorite subject in school is science, my favorite TV show is Gilmore Girls. I have been an advocate for 7 years and I mentor Weston Elementary. My favorite event for Peyton's Promise is probably Greenheck Halloween or Advocate Day of Training. A few of my hobbies outside of Peyton's Promise are biking, dancing, and reading.

Lauren Krembs — Member

I am going to be attending the Senior High this year as I just became a sophomore! I have been an advocate since 4th grade so this will be my 6th year in Peyton’s Promise and I am going to be Rothschild Elementary School's new mentor! My favorite Peyton’s Promise event is Eat for the Hungry. My favorite movie is Spiderman No Way Home and my favorite TV show is Outer Banks. I love english and history in school and some of my hobbies outside of Peyton’s Promise include singing, acting, dancing and baking. I am excited to be in the Advocate Board this year! :)

Keegan Nye— Member

My name is Keegan Nye. I am a sophomore at the DC Everest High School. I have been an advocate for Peyton’s Promise since 4th grade, and have been helping for years before that. This is my first year as a mentor for the DC Everest Junior High. I enjoy hands on classes at the DC Everest Senior High, such as Tech Ed. In my freetime I enjoy mountain biking and downhill skiing. I also like watching “The Simpsons”. I am looking forward to being a mentor for Peyton’s Promise for years to come!

Mckenna Woller— Member

I’m Mckenna Woller and I am a sophomore at DC Everest senior high this year. I have been involved in Peyton’s Promise since 4th grade. I am also on the advocate board and I mentor Hatley Elementary. My favorite event is Elves Stocking Shelves. Other than Peyton’s Promise I am involved in DECA and I also play basketball and golf.

Cassidy Lackey— Member

Hey, I’m Cassidy Lackey! I’m on the Advocate Board for Peyton’s Promise. For the upcoming 2022-2023 School Year, I will be a Sophomore (10th grade) at the DC Everest Senior High School! I have been involved in Peyton’s Promise for 4 years and I have been an official Advocate for 2 years! The school I am mentoring is Lincoln Elementary!
I enjoy all the events we do at Peyton’s but my favorite is probably the Concert on the Square Drive! My favorite subjects are probably English and French. My favorite movies are Legally Blonde, The Notebook, and Shrek. My favorite TV Shows are Grey’s Anatomy and Stranger Things. Other things i’m involved in are DCE Varsity Dance Team, GiGi’s Playhouse: YB President, NHS, Track and Field, and Volunteering!

Katie Hall— Member

My name is Katie Hall. I am a senior at the DC Everest High School. I have been a Peyton’s Promise advocate for nine years and apart of the board for three of those nine years. I am currently a mentor at the DC Everest Middle School. My favorite event in Peyton’s Promise is the anesthesiologist picnic because we get to hangout and play games with the young kids and I am interested in going pre-med in college. My favorite subject in school is human biology. My favorite tv show is either Criminal Minds or Grey’s Anatomy. Finally, outside of Peyton’s Promise I spend most of my time competitively swimming for DC Everest or my Club team, WYNS. I also enjoy baking!

Madelyn Dubore— Member

Hello my name Madelyn DuBore. I am a junior at DC Everest Senior High I have been an advocate since 4th grade. I mentor at the DC Everest Senior High. My favorite event that we do is Stock the Shelves. My favorite Subject in school is math. My favorite TV Show is Gossip Girl. In my freetime i like to play basketball, read, and spend time with family and friends.